Watch: Video of Thunder’s Steven Adams Journey from Illiteracy to the NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder’s big man Steven Adams is a beast. Something we are all starting to recognize in its full glory in the 2016 NBA Playoffs. You may be surprised to hear he’s only 22 years old and has only been in the NBA since the 2013 NBA Draft.

You’ll be even more surprised to learn that he is the youngest of 18 children in New Zealand, has a sister who is a two time gold medalist for the shot put, and the list goes on. But the biggest surprise is certainly that only a short 8 years ago, Steven Adams was illiterate, in a street gang, and going nowhere fast. This little piece chronicles his rise from illiteracy, with the help of his brother and new legal guardian, to navigate high school, pass the NCAA entrance tests, and make his way to PITT, where he played college ball for a season before entering the NBA draft….